A move to Brechin Castle Equestrian Centre in Angus for the annual Highland Pony Breed Show was welcomed with good entries across all sections to show the versatility of the Highland pony breed.
Heading the ridden Horse of the Year Show (Hoys) qualifier, judged by Jennifer George and Catriona McArdle, was the Meggernie Estate’s home-bred stallion Noah of Meggernie.
This striking 10-year-old stallion was attending his first ridden competition for two years and was beautifully ridden by Rose Macpherson from Crieff.
In their first ever Hoys qualifier they produced a smart, workman like show, moving up from an initial fifth place to lift the qualifying ticket.
Owned and bred by Beverley Malim from Meggernie Estate, in Aberfeldy, and produced by Julie Voules, Noah is bred in the purple.
His grandsire Rannoch of Trailtrow is a previous Hoys and Olympia champion and his sire Ben Ruadh of Meggernie is also a past Olympia finalist; and his full brother Jura of Meggernie was ridden M&M and Highland pony champion at the Royal Highland Show in 2013 with Lynn Paisley.
A huge winner in-hand, this season Noah has stood supreme at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May and in previous years has lifted many championships, including Blair Castle, Ayr County, Suffolk County and Midlands Counties.
The supreme ridden title went to Chris Grant riding the novice champion Dunedin Rhiona.
Owned in partnership between Chris and his mother Jan, Rhiona is a six-year-old daughter of Dunedin Marksman, the ridden champion at Hoys in 2009 with Mathew Lawrence.
Chris has previously enjoyed much success with Dunedin-bred ponies.
He rode Finale to qualify for Hoys after winning at the Great Yorkshire and Lincoln County and, encouraged by this success, purchased Rhiona from breeder Anne Mitchell as a two-year-old. This is Rhiona’s first season under saddle and has already stood supreme inhand and Picton champion at NCPA in North Yorkshire, novice ridden champion at Northumberland and reserve supreme in-hand champion at Ayr Show.
Last term Rhiona won the in-hand championships at both Border Union and Dumfries.
Now with a future in performance classes, they won the nursery novice working hunter class before lifting that championship to collect the gold and silver medal rosettes.
“My champion and reserve were both very nice. The champion really stood out and for a novice was well established; the reserve has alot of scope and another season will see them move up the ranks,” said judge Allan Robertson.
Ridden reserve supreme was Strathmore McNair, the open ridden champion, owned by Alan and Carolyn Munro from Ross-shire.
Bred by popular Forfar breeder Charles McQuattie, the eight-year-old Strathmore Cameron-sired gelding is in his first season of open classes and was champion at Drymen Show and fourth at the Highland Show.
The working hunter reserve champion was Heather Gow’s Westray of Alltnacailleach, runner up to Rhiona in its class.
Ridden by Kirsty Williams, this Donald of Shielhill-sired seven-year-old grey mare was home-bred by Mrs Gow at Pitscandly, by Forfar, out of Kilda of Alltnacailleach.
This is her second year of ridden classes having previously been a brood-mare. She was champion at Angus Show this year and last season was novice ridden reserve at the breed show.
Collecting the novice reserve ridden rosette was Robert Davidson’s Trowan Maverick, a home-bred six-year-old dark bay gelding by Ruaridh of Mendick and out of Trowan Mabel.
Ridden by Jo Jack, this followed on from their fourth place at the Royal Highland Show.
The supreme in-hand champion and gold medal winner was Nicky Page’s West Lodge Ashley, judged by Mrs Jean Connell of Auchtermuchty. The 10-year-old yeld mare, shown by Paul Rawling, was bred by Robin and Karen Stewart, and is sired by the 2002 Royal Highland Show ridden champion Coulnacraig Highlander.
Last year Ashley was champion at Echt and is a previous champion at Duthie Park.
“She’s very feminine and moves nicely,” said Mrs Connell.
Standing reserve was Messers George M Baird, of Blairgowrie, with their 11-year-old brood-mare Money Penny of Whitefield. Sired by Emperor of Whitefield and out of Heather Honey of Whitefield, herself a previous breed show champion, she was shown with a filly foal at foot by HS of Fourmerk.
Money Penny has previously been champion at Alyth and Blair Castle. The driving champion was Audrey Barron from Arbroath with her home-bred nine-year-old mare Kincardine Bluebell, sired by Kincardine Ben Macdhui, which competed at advanced
medium level dressage with Erik Mackechnie.